SHIPPING INCLUDED Foreword: Arnold Schwarzenegger Start where you are and go wherever your goals take you. No other guide offers a more comprehensive plan for developing a personal fitness program and sticking with it. Developed by the American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM Fitness Book offers the total package from one of the most respected organizations in the field. In its first two editions, the ACSM Fitness Book sold more than 100,000 copies. Now the classic has been enhanced and expanded with the tools you need to succeed. From simple, step-by-step instruction to new insights on nutrition, weight control, motivation, and overcoming setbacks, the authors provide the help you need to reach beyond your personal best. The key to making any fitness program effective is finding the right level of difficulty for your current ability and creating a plan that will take you to the next level. With a simple and scientifically proven fitness test, the ACSM Fitness Book gives you everything you need to determine your starting point and monitor your ongoing progress. With sample programs, worksheets, and more, ACSM Fitness Book takes the guesswork out of getting started and offers color photos of a variety of exercises that require minimal equipment and space. Whether your objective is to improve cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, or overall body condition, the ACSM Fitness Book will lay out a proven plan for reaching your goal in a way that works for you. Richly illustrated and easy to follow, it is the one book you need for the tools, and the motivation, to put your personal fitness program on track. About the Author The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is dedicated to promoting healthier lifestyles for people around the globe through scientific research, education, and the practical application of knowledge in sports medicine and exercise science. The ACSM has more than 18,000 international, national, and regional members in 80 countries who work in a wide range of medical specialties, allied health professions, and scientific disciplines. This diversity and expertise make the ACSM the largest, most-respected sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. Table of Contents Chapter 1. An Active Lifestyle Chapter 2. Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Health Chapter 3. Getting Ready to Exercise Chapter 4. Assessing Your Fitness : The ACSM Fitness Test Chapter 5. Beginning Exercises Chapter 6. The ACSM Fitness Program Chapter 7. Staying Active Words of Praise "This book is full of good advice on the health benefits of regular physical activity. It provides information about specific exercises and activities, helps you increase your motivational readiness, and gives you the behavioral skills to become more active. Use this material to permanently increase your physical activity and reap the enormous health benefits that will result." Steven N. Blair, PED, FACSM Form